Polymer articles with a surface deposited with metal layers, which are used for conducting electro-magnetic signals, are widely used in fields like automobile, computer, communications, etc. Forming the metal layer selectively on the surface of the polymer article is the key step in the manufacturing of these polymer articles.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0241422 to Naundorf et al., entitled “Conductor Track Structures And Method for Production Thereof,” discloses a method for preparing a polymer article, which includes steps of: adding an inorganic compound having a spinel structure and containing Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Fe, etc. to a polymer matrix, and activating the inorganic compound with an ultraviolet laser (with wave lengths of 248 nm, 308 nm, 355 nm, 532 nm) and an infrared laser (with wave lengths of 1064 nm and 10,600 nm). Specifically, Naundorf mentioned that the oxides having spinel structures should be reduced into metal under the effect of laser. Then the metal may act as a metal core, onto which metal may be deposited during a chemical plating process. However, the method needs very strict control on the process condition. Further, the energy of the laser has to be high enough to reduce the oxides having a spinel structure into pure metal. Therefore, the method has rather stringent requirements for the manufacturing instrument and the processing condition.
Therefore, there is a need for a process for metallization of a surface of the polymer article which has less stringent requirement for the manufacturing instrument and the processing condition.